Another Reason NBN Speeds Suck

Broadband modems supplied by Australian internet retailers are incapable of delivering 100Mbps download speeds over the average fibre-to-the-node connection, according to the consumer watchdog's own performance testing. At the same time, poor Wi-Fi performance from supplied modem/routers is another key bottleneck stopping Australians enjoying their promised NBN speeds.

Testing of 43 modem/routers from 11 different hardware makers and 10 internet providers, found that none could achieve 100/40 Mbps broadband speeds over a 450-metre copper run, which is the average length of copper in an NBN FTTN connection.

A third of Australia's FTTN NBN connections rely on more than 400 metres of copper, with the report finding a significant performance drop at the 450-metre mark. The ability to cope with a poor copper connection varied widely between modems used on the NBN.

At the 1050-metre mark — with additional line noise added to simulate a poor-quality copper line, electrical interference and shoddy installation work — download speeds vary from 10 to 29 Mbps, while uploads only hit 6 to 9 Mbps. The quality of the copper connection and the variation in modem performance means these speeds fall far short of the 50/20 Mbps speeds which NBN is pushing as the standard broadband connection.

Along with assessing a modem's ability to offer a fast and reliable NBN connection, testing also looked at its Wi-Fi performance for providing internet access to wireless devices around a home.

Wi-Fi performance varied significantly across the devices tested, which looked at both the 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands over short and long distances, as well as the impact of interference and obstructions such as walls. The report found that more expensive Wi-Fi-enabled modems do not necessarily deliver greater speeds and range.

Here's a look at how Australia's leading internet service providers price their Premium Evening Speed NBN 100 plans:

While 5GHz Wi-Fi offers faster speeds than the 2.4GHz band, 5GHz performance is generally considered to be more affected by distance and obstacles. Despite this, the report found that most 5GHz Wi-Fi devices tested provided better performance through walls, and at a greater distance, compared with their equivalent 2.4GHz performance.

There was considerable variation in the performance of all devices when operating on the 2.4 GHz band. Some devices could barely break the 50 Mbps mark, whereas others achieved close to 160 Mbps when transferring files from a network storage drive.

This large performance gap was likely due to compatibility issues between a consumer’s modem/router and their Wi-Fi devices; particularly older laptops, phones and computers, according to the report. The issue is likely to result in some Australians being "unable to achieve optimal performance" of their FttN NBN service.

"Better Wi-Fi performance, and consequently better NBN performance, would be achieved by choosing a device using the 802.11ac standard (or next generation 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6) operating in the 5 GHz band," according to the report.

The modem/router performance testing report may become the basis of a push by the ACMA to force Australian internet providers and modem makers to declare real-world modem/router performance figures, in line with their obligation to declare the real-world performance of NBN connections running to homes.

"The outcomes of the study have informed the preparation of practical consumer information and guidance to assist consumers in making well-informed decisions in purchasing, setting up and using Wi-Fi modems," according to the report.

This article originally appeared in Digital Life, The Sydney Morning Herald's home for everything technology. Follow Digital Life on Facebook and Twitter.

Comments

The original plan would have been over budget, late and just what we needed. What we got was the result of both sides of politics stuffing around for political reasons, ignoring what the end result was going to be.
It's what you get when the bean counters have more influence than engineers.

I'm sorry but that old, tired argument that "both sides are at fault" is just not true. The original NBN plan was a good one, and a sound investment for a nation to make. You cannot say it would have been "over budget and late" as it was never allowed to continue.

It was the Liberal party - and only the Liberal party - that politicised it and turned it into the dogs breakfast that it is now. Nobody else is to blame.

I bought into the National Bs Network,(not original designers fault). Extreme regret has set in.
I used to get a phone line, email AND internet, (albeit at a pathetic 5.5mbps on extremely good days), for $70 per month.

Now I get NO phone,(or a dial tone),NO email and erratic speeds for $65 per month. Ripped off!

Only logged in users may vote for comments!

Get Permalink

Trending Stories Right Now

While used PS4s and Xboxes may not make up a significant portion of e-waste, that doesn’t mean they aren’t contributing to the problem. If you have any used gaming consoles, don’t trash them — you can likely re-sell them at any electronics store or recycle them at the very least.

We're constantly being reminded to reduce, reuse and recycle for good reason, but by chucking the wrong items in the recycling bin, your solid intentions are all but having a negative impact. We appreciate the 'to toss or recycle' question isn't always clear so we're going do your wrongs a right and breakdown all the things you thought you could recycle but actually can't.